Patrick, Legislative leaders clash on tolls, gas tax

Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday called on the Legislature to authorize another increase in the gas tax in 2017 if Massachusetts Turnpike tolls west of Route 128 come down as scheduled that year — an idea that legislative leaders quickly rebuffed.

Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday called on the Legislature to authorize another increase in the gas tax in 2017 if Massachusetts Turnpike tolls west of Route 128 come down as scheduled that year — an idea that legislative leaders quickly rebuffed.

It was the latest development in a long debate between the governor and lawmakers on how to improve funding for the state’s roads and public transit system. Last week, the Legislature passed a bill to dedicate an additional $805 million to transportation by 2018, including $500 million from new gasoline, tobacco and business taxes.

On Tuesday, Patrick rejected the plan because he said it relied on $135 million from turnpike tolls set to expire in 2017. He sent the bill back to lawmakers with an amendment to plug that hole with another gas tax increase if the tolls disappear.

Patrick said the question is not whether to extend tolls or pass a higher gas tax, but whether the transportation bill truly makes the investment that legislators claim and the state needs.

“All I’m asking the Legislature to do is be straight with the people and me and make a very simple fix,” he said.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray quickly urged rank-and-file lawmakers to vote against the governor’s amendment.

In a joint statement, they called the legislative bill “a carefully calibrated revenue proposal that solves long-standing financial problems” in transportation. They called the proposal for another 4-cent gas tax hike “too high a burden on the taxpayers of our state.”

“This threatens working families and businesses still fighting to overcome the financial downturn,” the statement said. “Therefore, we will ask our respective chambers to reject the administration’s proposal.”

Patrick said he will not accept the bill as is, leaving legislators with the option of trying to override the governor’s veto, if necessary.

Complicating matters, the Legislature on Monday passed a $34 billion budget that included funding tied to the transit bill. Patrick has 10 days to review the budget and decide whether to sign it, veto portions of it or send it back to legislators with amendments. He said he urged lawmakers to wrap up the transit bill sooner to avoid this situation.

“I’ve sent the amendment back today ... because I recognized the interrelationship between the two — something I also will tell you I warned them against,” the governor said.

No immediate resolution was in sight Tuesday. With the Fourth of July holiday coming up, the Legislature had no more formal sessions scheduled this week.

In an interview, Patrick said the state really has $1.2 billion in unmet transportation needs. Earlier this year, he proposed to fund that amount largely with an income tax hike, while trimming the sales tax. Legislative leaders never embraced his plan.

Page 2 of 2 - The governor said he is willing to accept $805 million as a compromise, but the bill does not deliver the amount legislators say it does and will continue to shortchange communities beyond Boston. As is, he called the legislation “a wink and a nod.”

Patrick said he understands people who live west of Boston would like to see tolls end and that the gas tax is not the way he would prefer to raise new revenue either.

“I’m just trying to work within their framework,” Patrick said of the Legislature, whose plan already would hike the gas tax by 3 cents. “If they have a different way to raise new revenue to plug this hole, I’m fine with that.”

Patrick described hearing from residents about unmet transportation needs across the state.

“It seems to me the reason we’re here is to serve those voices and to try to be honest with them and transparent with them about what solutions we can deliver,” he said. “I think that’s a point of some frustration now.”

While legislative leaders pointed out that Patrick’s plan did not address post-2017 tolls on the Mass. Turnpike either, the governor said his proposal did not rely on that revenue.

Underscoring the state’s transportation challenges, the libertarian Reason Foundation on Tuesday ranked Massachusetts 43rd out of the 50 states for the overall performance and efficiency of its highways.

The state ranked first in the condition of pavement in rural areas and 10th in urban areas, but 29th for urban congestion and 44th for deficient bridges. The state also spends six times more per mile than the national average, the report said.

In addition to a gas tax increase, the Legislature’s plan would hike the cigarette tax by $1 a pack and impose a new tax on certain computer and software design services.